Kurt Zouma is ready to step into Antonio Conte's squad after playing his first full 90 minutes of football on Tuesday since suffering a serious knee injury nine months ago, Chelsea Under-23s coach Adi Viveash has revealed.
Zouma has played three games for Chelsea's development squad over the past few weeks, which culminated in the France defender playing the entirety of the team's Checkatrade Trophy match against Oxford United at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
After finishing 1-1 in normal time, the game went to penalties where Zouma netted two spot-kicks to help Chelsea win 13-12.
Viveash believes the 22-year-old is now ready to return to the first team, especially after getting practice in playing as part of a three-man defence in recent weeks - a formation Conte has been using to great effect since September.
"I'd say he is ready to train with you [Conte], yes," Viveash said. "He has been a privilege to work with, he is a fine young player, he has been tremendous with the boys, he works very, very hard every day.
"He has been really good and he gives good advice, but you have still got to remember that he is very young and he has now got to get into a defence that is performing excellently at the minute but what he does do is that he gives the manager another quality player and that, I imagine, is important for his squad.
"He has trained with them [the first team] a few days of last week then going into this game he came back with us on Sunday, two days before this. He did a few days with them and he did a few days a week before.
"He is building up and the manager is getting to look at him. He is getting closer and I think he is waiting to see if he gets through 90 and now we will see if there are any problems with the knee tomorrow.
"He will come in and cool down and then after Thursday he will train with the players that have not gone on international duty."
He added: "We are pleased to have helped him on his road and now it goes to the powers that be to decide what happens with him."
